Roche de Bellene

Operating with a crew of more than a dozen from the same imposing facility as his domaine (for more about which, consult under -Domaine de Bellene) Nicolas Potel is assembling contracts (favoring organic and moreover biodynamic growers) to support an array of négociant wines in red and (around one-third) white nearly as vast and as studded with illustrious crus as was that associated with Maison Nicolas Potel (which became a subsidiary of Laboure-Roi in 2003, and from which Potel has been estranged since last year). DAVID SCHILDKNECHT, Robert Parker

Potel is now an old hand in the Côte and it shows as the quality is excellent. Stylistically, if you've enjoyed the Potel wines in the past, there is no reason that you would not enjoy either variation of the Bellene wines as they are classic in the best sense of the term.  BURGHOUND

After leaving Domaine de la Pousse d'Or (where his father had been the winemaker and a partner before passing away) Nicolas Potel built up his own negoce business in 1996 and in 2005 began Domaine de Bellene in Beaune with 15 Ha of organic vines in the Côte de Beaune.

In 2008, after his departure from the SAS Nicolas Potel company, Nicolas launched his new negociant business called Maison Roche de Bellene.  Working closely with the same growers and domaines that Potel has built relationships d over last 15 years, the main difference is that Nicolas has narrowed his focus to a much more limited range of wines order to achieve his aim of becoming a "Haute Couture" negociant! 

Alex and I tasted the whole range in April earlier this year at Potel's magnificently restored 16th century cellar close to the centre of Beaune where the elevage of all the Roche de Bellene wines is completed. It's a superb range and we have chosen a small selection of those wines that we liked the most.  And we were lucky enough to be able to get a little Malconsorts (possibly the greatest premier cru in the Cote d'Or) this year.  Apart from the two bourgognes and the Rully Blanc, we only have very limited quantities of all these wines.